Little Red Lamb
by sodaice
Summary: He's a wolf among a herd of sheep. Being an outsider, Vaughn was used to the loniless of being alone and the fear he sees in everyone's eyes.  Yet, will the little red lamb that stood silently among the crowd be any different? ChelseaxVaughn
1. I'm the Wolf, I Am Vaughn

A/N: Hey-ho. (: I know I havent finished my other story yet (if you don't know about it, it's a WitchxWizard story. Please check it out. ;)) But I suddenly had an idea for a story and when i wrote it down, i started writing a little and couldnt stop! So here's the VaughnxChelsea story. It's loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood. At least, that's what I'm basing it on. :S

I'm just planning on having this story be a few chapters long. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own HM. :P

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

They couldn't hear him coming. They couldn't see him nearing them. They didn't feel his presence. They flocked around each other like a herd of sheep, whispering to each other in hush, quiet tones.

"I heard that he assaulted his boss in his last job." One said, gathering a chorus of gasps from the others.

"Oh my gosh! How dreadful!"

The man stopped to listen, his gaze focusing on the group before he continued walking. Closer, and closer.

"They say that he burned someone's house down."

"Oh my!"

The heel of his boot accidentally stepped on a fallen twig that was on the ground. It created a loud _snap_ that echoed loudly in the silence. All heads turned towards him, their eyes scared and wary.

"It's him!" Some squeaked, frozen and immobile in their spot.

No one moved a muscle, waiting for him to make the first move instead. He saw how they looked at him, with horror and fright in their doe-like eyes. He could see them shiver, could hear their breathing stopped for a second when his gaze passed them.

His eyes fell upon a girl who seemed to have stood out among the crowd. Her red bandana caught his eye and her bright blue eyes were staring straight right back at him. For a moment, he thought that here was one person who wasn't afraid of him. He took one step closer. She let out a shaky whimper slip past her lips as their eyes continued to stare at each other. He took a step back.

She was the same.

He let out a tired growl before walking past them to continue on his way to the boat that will lead him to a solitude island. From a distance, he could hear movement of the townspeople once more.

They were scared of him. He was the wolf among sheep.

His name is Vaughn.

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><p>Chelsea still shook where she stood. Her palms were still wet with sweat and her breathing ragged. Everyone around her had already started moving, getting back with their work when they were sure 'the wolf' wasn't around anymore. She felt paralyzed.<p>

What was that intense stare just now? She felt like he was looking right through her, yet, at the same time, he saw all of her. Even though their eyes may have locked together for just a few seconds, it felt like a whole lifetime to her. His bright red eyes…his silver white hair…she never saw anything like it before. And the throaty growl he made before he walked away. It's like the villagers said, he looked like a wolf in human flesh.

"Chelsea? Dear, are you alright?" One of the villagers, Felicia, asked her in a worried tone as she placed a hand on her shoulder. Chelsea snapped out of her thoughts and turned around, smiling.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little shaken." She rubbed her hands on her arms to make herself warmer, still feeling a chill down her spine when she remembered his stare.

"No one blames you, we're all frighten of him." Felicia gave one last comforting pat on the shoulder before leaving to go back to her house.

Chelsea let out a shaky breathe. She still felt a little scared, but she couldn't help but feel a little silly about her own reaction as well.

Vaughn Wolfe came to the island a few weeks ago ago as Mirabelle's new animal trader. People had tried to befriend him, but he never speaks more than a word or simply growls in response. There were rumors that in the middle of the night, they could hear someone walking outside their house. When they looked through the window, all they saw were a pair of blood-red eyes, staring right back at them from a distance. Kirk swore that he heard a wolf howling from afar and when he went to check it out, he saw Vaughn, alone, on Meadow Island. Rumors had it that he was some sort of wolf man, that if he's angered or provoked, he would kill you in the night.

But it was all just silly stories that silly villagers came up with to pass the time. Weren't they? Chelsea shook her head.

"Just rumors…" She muttered to herself as she quietly walked to the boat. She needed to get some flowers for Felicia's birthday party this evening.

"Hey Chelsea!"

"Hi Kirk."

She got on the boat and pointed towards Meadow Island. Kirk hesitated.

"What's wrong?"

"Well…Vaughn just went there a few minutes ago."

Vaughn…the wolf…he just went there a few minutes ago. Half of her mind was screaming at her to get off the boat or to go to another island to find the flowers, but another part of her is telling her to just follow through. She knows that Meadow Island has the prettiest flowers on the island since people rarely go there. She wanted the prettiest for the party.

"Meadow Island, Kirk." She confirmed her decision to him. He hesitated again but didn't comment anymore, simply paddle the boat towards the island. It was foggy. She couldn't see anything in front of her.

They got there in less than a minute, and when she got off the boat, he disappeared back into the fog in less than 10 seconds. Having no one to watch her back anymore made her feel even more vulnerable.

The fog was still thick, even on the island. She waded through the white cautiously, listening hard to any signs of movement or breathing. She heard nothing. She finally made it to her favorite spot, next to the altar where the flowers grew best. Kneeling down, she kept her eyes on the ground, still listening. When nothing came out of the fog, she concluded that he already left the island. She felt a little more relaxed with that thought in mind.

"What are you doing here?" She heard a rough voice from the back of her head. The flowers that she was holding slipped through her fingers when she stilled.

When did he come? How was even he able to creep up and kneel right behind her without her even noticing it?

Her breathing became ragged again, coming out in shallow, short breaths. Slowly, she turned around to face him and she stopped breathing altogether for a heartbeat when she came face to face with him. She could see her face in those red orbs, could see the terrified expression on her face. She gritted her teeth and tried to calm herself down. He's not a wolf. He's _not_ a wolf. He's not a _wolf._

"I simply came to pick some flowers for someone." She replied back without stuttering or tripping on her words. He looked down at her flowers and nodded.

"What are you doing here?" She asked back. He turned his attention back to her and made a sound in his throat. It sounded like a rattling snake.

"None of your business." He replied, tilting his Stetson a bit forward to cover his eyes, and got up to walk away. She should have left it at that, but for some unknown reason, she got up and followed him. She was curious. He walked really fast, snaking around trees so fast that she almost got lost. It was as if he mapped out this area and it was his play pen. But he finally stopped walking and turned around to face her again once more.

"Why are you following me?" He asked, tilting his head to one side, curiosity and annoyance in his tone. He stared down at her. She never realized how tall he was until now. She had always seen him in the distance or the nearest was just now when he was sitting behind her, but now, she had to look up just to stare back at him.

"I wanted to…" She didn't know whether she should do this or not, but something's telling her that she should, "…to ask if you were coming to Felicia's birthday party this evening. We can go together."

He scoffed, as if the idea of going anywhere with her was ridiculous. "Aren't you 'fraid of me? I'm the wolf. Go back to where you came from." He tried to dismiss her but she continued to follow him.

"I don't think you're the wolf everyone's been talking about." She called after him, feeling a little braver and a little more confident by the second.

He barked out something that sounded like a laugh, but it sounded more like a rough cough to her. "And saying that, I guess that makes you the black sheep among the crowd. Leave."

"I can't without the flowers which I have lost."

"Well that's not my problem."

"It is since you're the one who scared me back there and made me drop them."

"I didn't intend to scare you or anything."

"Well you did, and now I've been deflowered by you." She showed her bare hands but that wasn't what he was looking at. When she realized what she had said herself, she blushed to a crimson red. "Not…what I meant."

He gave a soft chuckle, and for the first time ever, she thought it sounded human. He sighed and tilted his hat back. She could fully see his face and the silver hair hidden beneath the hat. She must've been staring because he coughed an 'ahem'.

"Come. I'll help you get some new flowers." He nodded his head to left and walked that way, walking a little slower so she can catch up with him.

He brought her to a nearby patch of flowers, and truth be told, it seemed a lot prettier and fresher than her last batch. She knelt down and took in a deep breath. He knelt down and sat beside her, but not too close. He seemed a little more relaxed, and so was she. She couldn't help herself when she kept on glancing back at him. Was this real? He, who everyone thought was a big bad wolf, was sitting right next to her, calm and relaxed. Everyone must've misunderstood. He's not an animal. He's a man.

"Vaughn?" She called him. When she heard a grunt as a reply, she continued, "Why don't you come to the party this evening with me? It should be fun." She tried to persuade him again.

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><p>He couldn't tell if she was serious or just joking around with him. She didn't look like the sort of person who would tease someone, but after years of solitude and having people scared of you have made him build a wall around himself for protection. He pushed away anyone who came close or tried to break down his wall. He trusted no one.<p>

But here's one person, one woman, who's threatening to break down his wall, and he knew he should just push her away, same as he did with everyone else, but he couldn't. He felt a difference in her. He _wanted_ to trust her. He looked down at her hand that was inviting him to take it.

Was she telling the truth or feeding him a sympathetic lie?

"I…" He started, letting his single word disappear into the air. He was still hesitating. Ever since he came to this island, there were people who tried to befriend him. She's not the first. Still, he could see the un-genuine kindness that reflected in their faces and the fear that lit their eyes when they saw his own. They could see their faces colored in red when they stared at his eyes. His silver hair symbolized knives ready to kill, and his silence the stealth. In their eyes, he was a wolf, and they were the lamb.

But she's not like any of them. He noticed the fear in her eyes when she was frightened, but he saw it disappear when she ran after him.

Her hand was still reached out to him, but the longer he took to answer, he could see her confidence beginning to falter.

_No, I don't want to be alone._

He quickly took it in a small act of desperation.

"I'll go…" He muttered shyly when he saw the bright smile that glowed throughout her whole face.

"Really? Wow, that's…that's great!"

A wind blew by and the flowers that she picked flew passed her. She made an attempt to catch them before they went past her, but she managed to grab only a few. There weren't much left on the patch of grass, and the only ones worth picking were being carried away with the wind. Getting up, Vaughn lashed out towards the direction of the wind and swung out his arms to catch the few floating flowers. He managed to catch a few and when he pounced forward to catch the others, he tripped and almost fell.

_The flowers...No!_

He wanted to roar with frustration but before he could do anything else, a few seconds later, he saw Chelsea dashing in front of him, jumping around to try to catch it too. She was laughing heartily, her laughter filling the whole island and his ears. His hands that were clutching onto the few flowers fell limp to his side as he watched her, mesmerized by her voice and…just by her alone. He knew at that moment that her laughter was something that he would want to hear again. It was a melodic voice, carefree and full of joy. There was no hint of fear or caution in her movements. Everything was free.

He was no longer the wolf and she was not a lamb. They were man and woman, simply together in a flower field.

And right now, he would give almost anything to freeze that moment, to keep this feeling of being human. Of being the same.

She stopped when she felt him staring at her. He quickly looked away from her, trying to hide the deep crimson blush that tinted his face.

"Vaughn?" She called, walking towards him with a few flowers intertwined between her fingers. She took his hand, the hand that had the crushed flowers and shook it. "Thank you."

He didn't reply back, but he smiled at those two little words, and at the woman who said them.

They stayed a little longer on the island, the both of them hidden inside the fog that was starting to disperse. It was getting late when she said, "We should get going if we want to make it to that party. It's Felicia's birthday." She released his hand and guided him back to the pier. The man with the boat was already waiting there for Chelsea, but when he saw Vaughn following her, he jumped out of the boat and strode to where they were, oar in hand and ready for a fight.

"Chelsea!" The old man called, his finger pointing right at his face, "It's the wolf! The wolf is behind you! Right there!" He cried.

Guess there are just some people who would simply be afraid of him. He thought of him as a wolf? He wanted to snap the old man's neck right there just to fulfill the image that the old man had of him.

"Kirk. His name is Vaughn. And he's not a wolf, or wolf man, or anything like that at all." Chelsea scolded, pushing pass Kirk to get to him. She grabbed Vaughn's hand and led him to the boat. Vaughn got in first and helped her in, giving _Kirk_ an angered stare. If looks can kill, Kirk would be dead.

Kirk didn't say anything else on the way back to Verdune. Vaughn kept quiet too, still holding onto the flowers that were already crushed in his 'paws', yet, Chelsea wouldn't let him throw them away. The flowers she was holding weren't any better. Some had only a few petals left, while some had none. She noticed him staring at the flowers and smiled.

"They're still flowers, even without petals." She said, sniffing a petal-less flower that she was holding on to. She was weird.

When they got out of the boat, they walked together across the bridge where Chelsea said the party was held. He could hear music playing nearby and knowing that this was really happening was making him a little nervous.

"C'mon. It'll be fine." Chelsea whispered to him, giving him a comforting pat on his hand. He wished that she's right, but years of solitude and distrust weren't that easy to break down. He still felt uncomfortable. Yet, he nodded and followed her slowly.

When they arrived at the beach, he saw white wooden tables set up around everywhere, the chairs still stacked up on the table, waiting. There were a few empty glass vases on each table. Now he knew why she wanted the flowers. He saw kids playing tag near the tide, laughing and screaming. A few adults were watching them from a distance, talking to each other and sipping soda drinks. There were a few men that were around his age talking to each other or to some other girls. One of them was Julia who he worked with. She was the first one who noticed him and when she did, she touched the other person and whispered something. That girl saw him and gasped, whispering to another person. The news of his arrival spread like wildfire and the next thing he knew, everyone was staring at him and Chelsea.

"Wolf…" He heard someone muttered somewhere. Again, they were all tense and waiting. Of course they would still think that. A wolf standing next to a sheep doesn't make him one of the herd.

"I should go…" Vaughn said quietly to Chelsea, but she grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.

"No. They're just a little nervous."

_And so am I, but at least they're not accused of being a wolf or some murderous animal right now._

Chelsea's hand travelled down to hold his and gave it a squeeze. He instantly looked down to where her hand was and then looked at her. She smiled at him and pulled him towards the crowd, a smile still on her face.

"Hey guys. I brought Vaughn." Chelsea greeted everyone, trying to break the ice.

"…" It didn't work.

She sighed and shook her head tiredly, looking up and whispering to him, "Well, if the mountain won't come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to it." Chelsea shrugged nonchalantly and tugged him once to get him to walk alongside her. They went to sit by the fire that was set up in the center of the beach, sitting side by side on a giant rock slab. When people realized that he wasn't going anywhere, they started to move a little, but still rigid with fright. Julia and Denny, who were nearby, slowly approached them to sit on the rock across from them.

"Hey guys." Chelsea greeted cheerfully. They were still staring at Vaughn, but timidly waved back to her.

"Chelsea…that's…" Julia started, trying her best to whisper, but he could still perfectly hear her.

"Vaughn's cool guys." Chelsea said. She pulled the flowers out of his grip and showed it to them. "He helped me pick flowers for Felicia too."

They leaned it to look at the flowers, but there wasn't much left of it from what they can see. When they looked up at him, he growled back in response. Were they judging him? He knew coming to this party was a mistake. He got up and started to walk back to the bridge immediately, tired of the looks he was getting and the whispers he was hearing.

"Vaughn? Vaughn!" Chelsea called after him. He could hear her running after him. When he got far enough from the party, he stopped to let her catch her breath.

"W-Why are you leaving?" She asked, still panting from the running.

"I don't fit there." He grunted back. "I was delirious to even think about joining that party."

"No! I mean…I saw how they looked at you, Vaughn. I saw their faces, the same face that you have to see every time they look at you. I just thought that…maybe they'll accept you a little more if they see you in different scenery."

"You mean if they saw me with you? I appreciate it, but stop it. I don't need anyone's pity or help. This is who I am and if they can't deal with it, then screw them!" Vaughn accidentally shouted a little too loudly and angrily. She jumped back a step from shock, a look of fear flashing across her face for a second. But it was a second that Vaughn saw. He groaned into his open palm. He didn't need the one person who talks to him to be scared of him too.

But I guess it's inevitable. There's no way anything can come out of him being with her.

She made a move to say something else, but he stopped her by walking away. He created a large gap between them before looking back to see if she was still there. She was. She was still standing there, staring after him. And seeing her there, waiting for him, he wanted to do nothing but run back and apologize.

"No…I'm a wolf…She's a sheep." He turned away and continued to the pier where a boat was waiting to take him back to the city.

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><p>Enjoyed it? Hope you did. Why not review it? (:<p> 


	2. A Soft Bite From the Wolf

A/N: I'd just like to thank you everyone who took the time to review my last chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Vaughn! You're back!" His little brother and sisters screamed with excitement when he walked through the front door of their apartment. They ran into his legs and held on, wrapping themselves around him like vines, which made it _very_ hard to walk.

"Hey bro." Skye, his elder brother, greeted him languidly from the sofa where he was lounging on.

Vaughn looked around his siblings, staring at their silver hair and the crimson eyes that he, his little brother Milo, little sister Tierney have. Or like Skye's and his little sister, Millie, piercing blue eyes. He was probably staring at them too long and too quietly because it started to freak Skye out.

"Vaughn, you're freaking me out." He stated out loud, "You look like as if something crawled up your ass and died."

The little children gasped and closed their ears instantly at the swear word.

"Oh, sorry. I meant, you look like as if something crawled up your pie hole and fell asleep." He quickly changed the sentence.

Since their parents are often busy, they have left them all an apartment to live in. Skye, the oldest, was a bartender and chef…when he doesn't get into fights with the customers of course. Since Skye wasn't really reliable, Vaughn was the one who brought in the steady income to support the 5 of them. Because of his job that often sent him on trips, he rarely came home for more than 3 days a week.

"Nothing, just thinking." Vaughn replied back with boredom, trying to get his little siblings off of him so he can take off his boots. When he finally did, he plopped down onto the sofa tiredly. His little sisters joined him on his sides immediately, cuddling up to him.

There was a soccer game going on the TV so everyone stayed quiet to watch the game. Vaughn, who usually loved watching these games, couldn't concentrate properly. His mind was still on Chelsea. She had tried to help him and he yell back at her out of humiliation. She had tried to say something else, and he ignored her and walked away. On the way back to the city, he was thinking about what had happened the whole time. Should he go apologize to her? He felt like he owed her that much. But what if she felt like she had enough and wanted nothing to do with a 'wolf' anymore?

"Hey Skye…do people at the village you used to stay at think you were…I dunno…a werewolf?" He asked. Skype frowned at the question and turned his head to give Vaughn a weird stare.

"Are you high? Did those people in that island you work at give you strange brownies?"

"No. Just answer the question."

"Alright alright, no need to get your panties in a bunch." He thought it over for a second before answering, "No. No one ever thought I was a _werewolf_. That's just stupid. People thought I was hot. Which, I am." He chuckled at the obvious while Vaughn rolled his eyes. If there was one thing Skye was good at was complimenting himself. "But there were some people who hated me."

"What'd you do then?"

If his brother had the same experience as him, he probably knows what to do to get them to stop. If he could get on good terms with the villagers there, maybe it'll make things easier for him and Chelsea. He was waiting expectantly to hear what his brother has to say, but was sorely disappointed when he did.

"I stole their stuff and got run out of the village by an angry mob with pitchforks." And then he went back to watching the game.

Great…good to know that his brother's a thief.

He looked down at his younger siblings. "Hey Milo, Tierney, Millie…any problems at school?"

They looked at each other and shook their head, answering simultaneously "No."

"…."

So his brother gets even and his little brother and sisters have no problems. Disappointed and still clueless to what he should do about his problem, he got up to go to his room to sleep.

He slept until it was morning, and would've continued until noon if his brother didn't come in to wake him up.

"Morning sunshine! Wakey wakey, eggs and curry!" Skye sang, hitting a tasting spoon loudly on the pot that he was holding. Vaughn grumbled, annoyed and still sleepy, he turned away and pulled the covers up to hide his ears. He wanted to do nothing but strangle his brother right now.

"Get him." He heard Skye order, but before he could even wonder about what he was talking about, three big boulders slammed into his stomach. Maybe he'll include his younger siblings to that list of people he needed to strangle.

"Argh!" Vaughn yelled out, sitting up instantly to see his younger siblings lying across his lap, laughing and giggling with amusement. "Ugh…all of you, get out of here." Vaughn yelled, pointing to the door when he finally got his last sibling off the bed. They ran out and before he heard the door slam shut, Skye shouted for him to come downstairs to eat.

He grabbed a shirt off the floor and pulled it on and over his head. There were girls in the house, he shouldn't walk around topless.

When he got downstairs, everyone was already sitting around the table, digging into their scrambled eggs and curry that Skye prepared. Nothing like scrambled eggs and curry in the morning. Though it's a weird concoction, everyone has already gotten used to it since Skye's only cooking skill was cooking curry as a main dish. There was a vase with fresh flowers as a centerpiece.

_Those looked like the ones that Chelsea picked._

"Aren't they pretty?" Millie asked when she noticed him staring at it for so long.

"What?"

"Tierney and I picked them this morning! I like the pink one."

"I like the yellow one!" Tierney joined in.

Milo picked one flower from the vase and started to pluck the petals off one by one, mumbling something shyly under his breath.

"Milo!" Millie screamed across the table when she saw what he was doing, "Stop it! You're making it ugly!"

"And Caroline does not like you!" Tierney added, sticking her tongue out at him.

Vaughn was still staring at the petal-less flower while the small kids started to bicker among one another. He walked over and pulled it out of Milo's hands, and for some reason, he thought about what Chelsea had said back at the boat.

"They're still flowers, even without their petals." He mumbled quietly to himself in a trance-like voice. Unfortunately, everyone heard him and was staring at him with a worried and confused expression on their faces.

"…O…kay…Vaughn has officially gone weird and hippie. You okay bro? You've been acting weird since you came back."

"Um…yeah…I gotta go." Without sparing his family another glance, he grabbed the rucksack he has yet to unpack by the door and ran out. He didn't have a plan, or any idea to what he's doing, but all he wanted to do right now was find Chelsea.

He paid extra for the earliest ship that can take him to Verdune Island. He sat alone on the ship, away from the crowds so that they won't be disturbed or scared.

"Young man, is this seat taken?"

Vaughn looked up to see an old lady smiling down at him, pointing her cane to the seat next to him. He looked around. There were empty spots everywhere surrounding them, but he shook his head and moved slightly so she could sit down.

"Thank you. These old bones aren't what they used to be it seems." She chuckled, massaging her legs with her tiny, frail hands.

Vaughn, still confused, didn't know what he should do or say. He just nodded his head politely and tried to move away a bit more.

"Why are you sitting here by yourself, dear?" She asked suddenly out of the blue. He turned to face her and was surprised to see that she looked really curious and interested. He grunted.

"I like being alone." He answered. She giggled.

"I don't think that's so, dear. You looked pretty lonely when I saw you." She giggled some more and gave his leg a comforting pat. "Now, why are you really alone?"

Vaughn tilted his hat to hide his face. In normal circumstances, he would have told them to take a hike, that he didn't want to be disturbed, or they would get scared and run away themselves. But this didn't seem like any normal circumstance at all. Vaughn took a deep breath and sighed.

"I don't fit in." He finally muttered out.

"Why would you think that?"

"People seem to get intimidated by my appearance. If you haven't noticed, I have silver hair and red eyes."

She smiled and reached over to pat him on the head. He bent down lower so she could reach without having to stretch too far. Her smile got wider.

"I'm sure they just misunderstood. Like flowers, they're still flowers, even without their petals. Just because you're different dear, doesn't make you any less human. You just have to prove it to them…your…self…" And then she fell asleep, leaning onto him as a cushion.

Vaughn looked around him, trying to find someone, anyone, to take her away. Despite her kindness…and Chelsea-like quote, he felt really uncomfortable having a strange elderly woman leaning onto him. He frowned when a couple walked passed him with a frightened expression on their face, but when they saw the elderly woman, leaning on him asleep peacefully, and their expressions softened. He swore he heard one of them say 'aww'. (Must be the woman, it would be weird if it's the guy)

"Such a nice man…" The woman whispered to her partner, sneaking another peek at Vaughn before they disappeared around the corner.

He looked down at the grandma and saw that she was smiling triumphantly, yet, her eyes are still closed.

* * *

><p>"Hey Chelsea!" Mirabelle greeted merrily when she saw her coming into the store. Chelsea waved back tiredly, slumping onto the counter like a dying woman.<p>

For the past two days, she has been searching all over the islands for a sign of Vaughn, hoping to see him and apologize for any misunderstanding. She never pitied him and although it may seemed like she was trying to help him, the only agenda on her mind at the moment was to be able to spend more time with him.

"Are you okay?" Mirabelle asked in a worried tone, leaning in closer to look at her.

Chelsea blew the strand of hair away from her face before answering, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just trying to find someone. He's really hard to track down."

"Who is it?"

"Vaughn Wolfe? Do you know where he is, Mirabelle?"

"_Wolfe_? Don't waste your time, Chelsea. He comes around only two days a week. He'll be back next Monday, but I wouldn't get near him if I were you. It's for your own safety." Mirabelle warned, shaking her head in disapproval at the thought of Chelsea trying to find Vaughn.

Chelsea frowned, a little annoyed with how everyone reacts and treats Vaughn. She straightened up to be the same height as Mirabelle. She glared her down until Mirabelle actually took a step back.

"He's not a bad person, Mirabelle. He's a really kind and gentle man. You would know that if you spend a little time trying to get to know him when he's working for you." Chelsea said in a still tone, trying to keep reign in her anger when Mirabelle looked confused. This time, it was Mirabelle's turn to frown at Chelsea.

"Why are you trying to protect him, Chelsea? Do you like him?"

Chelsea didn't answer back instantly, her mouth hung open into a small 'o' shape but no sound came out. Why was she being so protective about him? She may have seen him and knew his name for a month or so, but have talked to him only two days ago. Yet, something about the way people treated him made her angry now that she knows him. Everyone thought he was a scary wolf…including her. She was scared of him. Feared him. Misunderstood him.

"I do, Mirabelle…" She muttered. When she said that, she felt a little bolder, more confident about her feelings, she said, "I like him, Mirabelle. He's a good man and everyone's being ignorant and mean towards him just because he's different. It's no wonder he's always distancing himself from us! Look at the way we look at him or treat him! We thought he was a murderer for gosh sakes!" She was banging her hands on the counter top at that point, frustrated and ashamed about herself and her fellow friends on the island. Everyone liked to say that they're the friendliest island because everyone treats each other like family. Then why is he being left out?

"Calm down now." Mirabelle warned, but that didn't stop her.

"We're all being hypocrites! I don't care how long it's gonna take me, but I will try to get the villagers to turn around and see him in a different light! And I _will_ find him and apologize! He's a good man and he doesn't deserve this at all!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" Chelsea screamed at the new voice that just entered the store, but froze immediately when she saw that it was Vaughn. Her mouth dropped open and no voice came out. She looked like a fish out of water.

He was still standing there, staring at her with those red eyes of his. He looked like he was calculating and trying to analyze her, trying to figure her out as if she was a new puzzle he never saw before.

"Vaughn…you're back." Chelsea finally found her voice, but it was just a feeble and shocked whisper. He nodded.

"Did you hear all of that?" He nodded again.

Without any notice she ran to him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to follow her as she ran straight out of the store. Since she was already tired before, in a short while, he became the person leading her. She simply followed, and while following, they ended up at her farm. She took control and led him into her house. When she closed the door, she turned around and found him staring at her. With his red crimson eyes, he really did look like an animal. He had an expression that made her feel like he was going to eat her up. She swallowed the large invincible lump.

"I'm sorry/Sorry…" They both blurted out at the same time.

"Sorry, you first/Go ahead." When they noticed what the other said, Chelsea laughed out loud and Vaughn chuckled, shaking his head at the coincidence.

"You can go first." Chelsea said, gesturing for him to continue with what he was saying before.

"Right…umm…" He tilted his hat forward, shuffling his feet a bit. He looked nervous. He took a breath, held it in, and let it go. He coughed into his fisted hand. He shuffled his feet and took off his hat, before quickly putting it back on again. Seeing that she wasn't going to go anywhere, he sighed and muttered 'here goes' quietly under his breath.

"I'm sorry…when I stormed off like that a few days ago. I was really frustrated about myself…and the people around me. I took it out on you when you followed me. I'm used to people standing from afar, but not people following me." At this point he took a few steps closer to her, closing the large gap between them.

Chelsea sucked in a breath when she looked up at him. Here, standing in front of him, was a man, as handsome and large as a wolf. He wasn't wearing his work clothes, but a gray t-shirt and jeans. His hat was still on though. She could see his silver hair peeking out from under his Stetson, some strands sticking to his face from the sweat. His red eyes were staring down at her with half lidded eyes, both calming and fierce at the same time.

"Umm…I'm no good with words, Chelsea. I don't have any poetry in me. I can't dazzle a woman with words or even actions…and I haven't for a long time. But when I saw you in the crowd in your red bandana…I had hoped that you were different from the others. And I think that I was right." He tried to give her a smile, but ended up turning away to knead the back of his neck, looking embarrassed about what he was telling her. He looked so lost at that moment, she wanted to do nothing but hold him.

"Your turn…" He muttered gruffly, stilled embarrassed with his confession. Chelsea was still smiling dumbly that he had to repeat his words to get her to talk.

"Well…here goes…I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted towards you before…I had no intention of pitying you. Truthfully, I'm not sure about my own actions as well at that time. I don't know why I invited you…I think it was because I wanted to get to know you. To prove my own silly suspicions wrong." She blushed slightly before saying her next words, tucking in a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "And mostly…I think I…no…I know it was because I wanted to be a little closer to you."

This time, it was his turn to gape at her like a fish out of water. His mouth hung open and his body stood tense and still. He seemed like he was trying to fully comprehend what she just said to him and was having a hard time believing her. He finally got it together again, closing his mouth and turning away a bit to hide his red face. It was even redder due to the contrast between his hair and his facial color.

"Um…well I…" He was stuttering like a little boy, coughing into his hand and saying more short words, trying to gather it into a sentence. She continued staring at him with amusement, bewildered by his strong reaction to her words. He was…adorable.

"Thank you…" He muttered after taking in deep breathes and a countdown from 10. "I'm not particularly…used to this as you could probably tell." He tried to pull down the hat to cover his eyes again, but this time, Chelsea stepped in and grabbed his hand that was holding onto the hat.

"What are you trying to hide?" She asked, guiding his hand to take off the hat. He was reluctant at first but willingly followed when he saw that she wouldn't be giving up.

She could finally saw his full face. His messy silver hair fell down and molded the shape of his face, the silver perfectly contrasting to the ruby shining in his eyes. And his face. His face was a lighter color than the color of his arms from hiding from the sun all day long. The corner of his mouth was twitching slightly, turning upwards into a smile, but also trying to refrain it from becoming a full smile.

"Smile, Vaughn."

His lips stopped twitching instantly when he shook his head, replaced again with his usual frown.

"Why not?"

"You don't want to see it. My smile…it frightens people."

Chelsea shook her head, sighing with annoyance at the 'people' who were frightened from his smile.

"Let me be the judge of that."

"…" He stayed quiet, probably considering and reconsidering the two options over and over again. He finally nodded. He smiled.

Chelsea sucked in a breath. Her heart wouldn't stop fluttering and she couldn't stop staring at him. She could understand why people would be afraid, seeing how people thought he resembled a werewolf. His smile had a certain characteristic to it. It had a certain wolfy charm to it. He has canine fangs, sharp and long like a real wolf. It seemed a little uncertain and unpracticed, his smile, it was because he was trying too hard to smile right now that it looked unnatural. And yet, she couldn't help but think that he was the handsomest man she ever laid eyes on.

When she didn't say anything, he took it as fear and stopped immediately, trying to walk away to hide his face. She pulled him back to face her.

"Don't hide it, Vaughn. At least not from me. I don't think you're scary, I don't fear you, and I most certainly think that you can't be any more handsome than when you smile." She smiled back, trying to provoke him to smile with her. He eventually did. She noticed there was something new about his smile now. There was confidence. His smile wasn't wavering, and it actually looked proud. He chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"I'm gonna bite you." He warned teasingly, leaning down low enough for their lips to meet.

* * *

><p>At first I was going to have this story be a 3 shot, but lately, I've been getting more ideas for the story and was thinking of making the story longer. I'm making a poll on my profile, so please express your thoughts about the subject, or on the story there, or in a review.<p> 


	3. Fangs and Fireworks

A/N: Since everyone thought it would be better if the story was longer, then longer it shall be. If it's a three-shot, the story would've ended with Vaughn trying to socialize with people for Chelsea's sake, but that's not gonna happen anymore. You'll find out how it really ends now, if you stay tune with Little Red Lamb that is. (:

For some people's benefit, I feel like I need to say that...Little Red Lamb is just a fanfic people! I change some things, like Vaughn's eye color and who his family members are to fit in with the story. I'm sorry if my story upsets anyone.

Disclaimer: I dont own Harvest Moon and Little Red Riding Hood

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

When the rooster crowed at 6 in the morning, Chelsea woke up and almost screamed in shock when she saw a dead person on the ground. Actually, that dead person was Vaughn asleep on the hard floor, snoring like the dead. She jumped over his body to get off the bed, crouching down low enough to shake him softly to get him to wake up.

"Vaughn…get on the bed." She whispered to him, but he shook his head slowly, still drunk with sleep.

"I'm fine…" He slurred back drowsily. She smiled at his semi-old-fashion values. About how men shouldn't be sleeping on the same bed as a woman unless they're married. Semi since he doesn't seem to have anything against them being in the same room together.

Right now, she's not too sure what they are. They kissed yesterday and talked all night long…to which he must've crept down from the bed to sleep on the floor, but she's not sure if that immediately makes them a couple. Either way, she didn't want him to stay on the floor like some cowboy corpse carpet. No matter how nice his butt is.

"I'm awake, go sleep on the bed." She argued back, pushing him harder so he would get up. Instead, he wouldn't budge. She was still trying to push when he grabbed her hand and pulled her down, causing her to land on top of him.

"Morning." He greeted, his eyes still closed but his lips clearly smiling.

"Good morning." She greeted back, and without any notice, she leaned in to kiss him on the lips. When she leaned back, his smile was wider.

"Now it's a good morning." He yawned sleepily and sat up, looking around the house with a sort of sleepy confusion. He probably wasn't used to sleeping at someone else's home. She smiled at how adorable he looked at that moment, his silver hair in a mess. It was sticking out everywhere, as if it has a mind of its own. She walked over to the kitchen and got out a few ingredients to make them pancakes. Using eggs and milk from her own farm of course. Who in their right mind would splurge when they can get ingredients right in their backyard?

He trudged slowly to where she was to look over her shoulder at her cooking.

"Anything I can help with?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Not really, I'll just make us some breakfast and go outside to work. One of my cows is pregnant."

"I'll be happy to help you with your farm work." He looked outside from her window at the barns and chicken coop that was standing outside. He seemed to be admiring her farm as his gaze swept through her 'backyard'. "You've done a great job with your farm…and I've seen a lot of farms in my life."

Chelsea blushed slightly at the compliment and smiled proudly, "Thanks! I'm just that awesome I guess." He chuckled and gave her a soft teasing hit on the head, "And you don't need to help. I wouldn't want to bother you."

"Hey, animal trader remember? I work with animals for a living. It won't take long." And with that, he walked out of the house and straight for the chicken coop. She could see him rolling up his short sleeves as he entered the coop.

She went back to cooking and while she was alone, she kept trying to find a sense of discomfort in herself. Had she and Vaughn just moved in together? They just met and he already spent the night here. Isn't this a very big move? She should be feeling unease at having a man she doesn't know for more than a month staying here, helping with her farm work, but she couldn't find any. She actually felt comfortable, as if they knew each other for a long time and that this was bound to happen. And she trusted her chickens with him, that's a big compliment.

She glanced outside her window again and saw that he had let her dog and horse out of the barn which holding a hatful of eggs in his hands. He walked back towards the house and placed them carefully in the shipping bin. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Again, now that she has gotten to know him, she couldn't understand why anyone would've thought he was a monster.

It was nearing 9 in the morning when Vaughn came back from the barns, grimy with dirt and animal feed sticking out of his clothes. He nodded at her direction as he took off his hat and placed it on the small coffee table.

"Hey, you can use my bathroom if you'd like." She pointed towards a door. She went back to cooking but had to stop when she heard him laughing to himself. She turned around and cocked her head to the side, "What's so funny?"

"It's just weird. I'm so used to having people afraid of me…and now I'm in a _woman's_ house, taking care of her animals, and about to go take a shower in _her _bathroom. It's something I'll have to get used to I think."

"And when you come out, you'll be greeted with a big plate of hot pancakes with butter and maple syrup. The hardship! How can you ever get through this?" She yelled dramatically.

"When I say it, it's okay. But when you pile on, I just feel stupid."

"Sorry." She giggled, turning back to her pancakes.

When he came out, he was indeed greeted with a plate full of pancakes. He wolfed them down almost instantly and was a little shy at first about asking for seconds, but by the time he asked for fourths, he asked with a 10 minute hesitation.

"If I knew you'd be eating this much, I would've made more." Chelsea teased as she finished her first plate of pancakes.

"Sorry. Am I…?"

"No no, I love watching you eat. It's actually nice to have someone to enjoy breakfast with." She waved her hands to dismiss the topic, smiling to herself as she continued watching Vaughn eat the pancakes she made. He flashed her a smile and she might as well just melt into a puddle of pre-farmer goop.

How could a girl be so lucky?

* * *

><p><strong>Next Monday…<strong>

_I can't believe I'm actually doing this…_

Vaughn gritted his teeth and shook himself as he tried to get himself to knock on Chelsea's front door. It has been almost a week since he saw her. Of course, after the breakfast he had with her all those days ago, he had to go back to the city to work. He left so abruptly that for a whole day his boss and his siblings yelled at him for making them worry. Except his boss of course, he yelled just because he didn't show up. But was it worth it?

_Hell yes._

For the whole 3 days that he was in the city, he couldn't stop thinking about Chelsea and was dying to get back to the island. Every time he thought about her, he couldn't stop himself from smiling…and it was starting to freak a lot of people out, both at work and at home. He already made his little sister cried when he suddenly smiled while they were watching a horror movie, to which the ghost had just chopped off a victim's head. She thought he was going to become a psycho killer ghost just like in the movie.

On Monday, when he came back, he went to work and hadn't see Chelsea the whole day, but he was glad for that. In his mind, he was planning out a date the whole day. And now that he was done with work, he was trying to gather up the courage to ask her out. He even found flowers to give her. Yet, he was still unable to knock on her door.

"Get it together, Wolfe. Come on." He muttered to himself, huffing an irritated breath as he raised his hand to knock on the door.

_What if she's not inside?_

He immediately pulled his hand back. He walked around the house to see if he could see her inside. There was light inside, so that must mean something.

He strode back to the front door and before anymore questions can pop inside his mind, he gave the door 3 rapt knocks. No one answered instantly and that made him even more nervous.

_Maybe I should come back later._

He was about to walk away from the house when Chelsea opened the door.

"Vaughn!" She called. He didn't need to turn back to hear the smile in her tone. And when he did turned around to see her, she was indeed smiling. "Come on in-"

"Would you go to dinner with me?" He blurted out, unable to keep it inside him. He was mentally punching himself in the gut when she burst out in a fit of laughter. Vaughn tried to laugh with her, but after awhile, he felt just plain silly.

"I'll come by later…" He muttered and turned away to get out of this awkward situation.

"No! No! Sorry! I was just…a little baffled and surprised! You caught me off guard, that's all." She took in a deep breath and tried to calm herself down, now able to talk without laughing. She was now only smiling…although it was a little unstable. She bit her bottom lip to keep herself from making a giggle when she nodded.

"Okay." She said, but that only made him a little more befuddled than before.

"Okay what?"

"I'll go to dinner with you."

"…Really?" He asked, but he didn't have to wait for an answer since she closed the door and ran to lock her arms around his.

He smiled to himself in triumph, in his mind, screaming _yes_!

* * *

><p>He could immediately tell that this was not going to be a peaceful evening for him today. Or any other day if he's still here on this island. Before he had met Chelsea, he rarely went beyond the animal store and the pier. There was a straight line that led him from the pier to the store and he never went out of that line. So it wasn't unexpected when there was a small crowd inside the diner when he and Chelsea entered. Everyone was smiling and talking freely to each other until the point when they pivoted their head slightly to see who it was that had just entered the restaurant. Then they stopped and everything went silent. He could practically hear someone's meatball falling back onto the plate.<p>

He should be used to the stares and the silence, but when he had Chelsea near him, he couldn't help but feel humiliated and frustrated with his social status. Here he was, a social outcast and everyone's idea of a homicidal freak myth, while Chelsea was the nice girl that everyone on the island liked.

He wanted to pull back, retreat, run, anything that would get him and Chelsea out of this situation. He didn't want her to be known as the girl that hangs out with the wolf. But instead, she leaned in, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered closely to his ear.

"I'll go get a table, just order for us."

"…" He had the same reaction as everybody else in the restaurant.

Finally, when he snapped out of the trance, he went to the counter and looked at the menu.

"Umm…" He wasn't sure what was good, and the man wasn't being helpful either.

"What d'you want?" He asked brusquely, staring him down while holding a plate. He frowned. Was this man planning on hitting him with the plate? A small tray of steak knives caught the corner of his eye and for a moment, he couldn't help but play around with the idea of taking one and stabbing the man with it.

"No…" He muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut as he tuned out the violent pictures in his head.

"No what, wolf? Order and go away." A few people at the back cheered as the small one-sided banter went on. Vaughn looked back, making sure that no one was sneaking up behind him, but instead, he saw a man at Chelsea's table, talking to her in hush tones.

"That guy's dangerous! Leave him, Chelsea!" That was all he could make out. He eyed the steak knife once more. It was getting harder to keep calm with the chef trying to get him to leave, the small crowd cheering for the chef, and some other guy trying to persuade Chelsea to leave him.

The last one was really, _really _starting to tick him off. He let out a low growl.

"I'm serious Chelsea! Leave now! For your own safety!" The fisherman.

"No, Denny." Chelsea.

"Leave! Leave! Leave!" Crowd.

"…" Vaughn.

"Hey! Wolf! You wanna doggie bag to go? He he he-ack!" The chef's voice was cut off when Vaughn's outstretched hand grabbed his throat and pushed him back away from him. The crowd stopped cheering as he stalked towards his table angrily, like a predator going for the kill. His eyes were burning with the intent to kill something. Something that was trying to take away his lamb.

"She's mine." He muttered to himself. "Mine!" He yelled louder at Denny, giving him a jolt.

"Vaughn! Calm down." Chelsea got up and tried to get him to stop from nearing Denny.

"I'm taking my girlfriend out to dinner! Is that such a crime?" He asked, kicking a nearby chair at Denny's direction. Denny jumped away, but the chair managed to hit him on the foot.

"It is when that man is you! Look at you! Chelsea kept on saying that you're not a wolf, but what part of you right now doesn't look predatory?" Denny yelled back, scrambling away to get up into a position that he can fight back.

Red came over Vaughn's vision and all he could see for a second were flash of images rushing through his mind. Images of him killing everyone in that restaurant that was getting in his way. He would've started with Denny if it wasn't for Chelsea.

"Vaughn!" Chelsea screamed into his ear, slapping him right across the face. "Snap out of it!"

He turned his head back, but before he could say anything, Chelsea grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit, passing every frightened villager that was there. He finally calmed down when he got slapped and the scared expressions that everyone had been like a punch in the stomach. What had he just done?

Chelsea pushed him out of the door and crossed her arms across her chest.

"What the hell was that, Vaughn?" She asked, nodded her head back towards the restaurant. He couldn't do anything but feel ashamed and sorry. He never slipped this much before. "I know those people were being mean to you, but they were my friends! And so was Denny!"

"He was trying to break us up." He grumbled, but Chelsea instantly snapped back at him with the agitation of a hundred bees.

"I was never going to do it!" She yelled every word slowly, emphasizing on every syllable precisely. "You should have realized that if you had stopped with your big bad wolf act and listened to me instead."

"…Sorry."

"And since _when_ was I your girlfriend?"

"Since-" His mouth hung open, about to reply back but then he realized that he never asked her before. "…I never asked you before." He muttered and she shook her head.

"Nope. Never did."

"Oh. I just thought…never mind…uh…" He said, a little embarrassed about what he had said and a little shy about he was planning on saying next. "Would…Would it be…umm…"

Still a little angry at what he had done, she didn't bother to make herself sound calmer when she spat, "What?"

"Will you be my girlfriend then?" He muttered under his breath as he turned away to hide his blushing face. He pulled his hat down to cover his face, but his eyes still lingered on hers, waiting for a response. Her eyes widened and she took a step back, probably a little surprised with the question.

"W-What?" She stuttered, and took another step back when he repeated the question. "Um…"

He stared at her calmly, but inside, he was panicking like a chicken being led to the slaughter.

_No. What did I do? Shouldn't have said that. Shit. She's scared of me. Why did I say that? Shouldn't have said that-_

"Yes." She said, pushing herself forward to get closer to him. He blinked.

…_What?_

"Yes…what?"

"Yes, I would be your girlfriend." She smiled, biting her lower lip in that adorable manner he loved. He hadn't realized that he was holding his breath when he was waiting for her answer, and now, he felt like a large chip had just dissolved off of his shoulder.

"Can I…?" He leaned his face a little closer, but he didn't have to wait for her answer because she was the one who grabbed his collar and pulled him in closer for a kiss.

Fireworks. That was all he could think of when their lips met. As feminine as that sounds, he couldn't feel anything but the sparks between them as he dragged her closer by the nape of her neck for a deeper kiss. She followed by twining her arms around his neck, one hand taking off his head while the other was playing with his hair. He smiled when he heard his hat being dropped onto the ground.

"I like that hat." He growled between kisses.

"I don't. It hides your eyes." She growled back, opening her eyes to stare up at his own. "What beautiful eyes you have." She admired, staring up with adoration at his red ruby eyes.

"The better since now I'll know you'll look only at me longer."

"What soft hair you have." She said as she tugged his hair softly, getting a low growl of approval from him.

"The better for me since now I know that you like it."

"What long teeth you have." She whispered between another kiss when she dragged her tongue against his long canine fang.

"The better to bite you." And before she could say anything else, he silenced her when he covered his mouth over hers, viciously this time out of desire, but she only moaned in return. He was holding her face in between his palms, laughing a low throaty chuckle.

"I seriously can't get enough of you."

They would have continued kissing if Charlie hadn't walked passed them and shouted, "Jeez, get a room!"

Chen who was with him saw that it was Vaughn and quickly pushed his son into their house. When he saw his hands cradling Chelsea's face, he had mistaken it for Vaughn trying to choke Chelsea.

"Help! Wolf!" He yelled frantically, running inside the store to get a weapon to save her.

Chelsea realized what was happening first, "Crap. Run!" She took his hand and instantly ran towards her house in the north. They couldn't help but laugh happily at the situation the whole way they ran, hand in hand, to her farm.

* * *

><p>I'm sure you can see the resemblence between the story Little Red Riding Hood and my story, yes? I had to change the words of course since...well...he's kissing her, not trying to eat her and I can't imagine Vaughn saying 'my dear' at the end of the sentence.<p>

Thank you everyone who helped review, favorite, and alert my story. I'll try my best to get the story past 5 chapters. If you have any suggestions for the story, feel free to tell me. Any ideas that involve a wolf would be nice, and I might put it in the story.


	4. Granny Turned Into A Wolf

A/N: Please keep in mind that I alter some of the information of the character to fit in with my story. Such as Vaughn's eye color, his family members (although I don't think Julia and Mirabelle are his family members, please tell me if I'm wrong), or if I added him a last name. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"Vaughn! Phone!" Skye yelled in annoyance when he heard the phone ringing. He was lounging on the couch, watching a basketball match while the phone continued to ring. It was getting on his nerves. He glanced towards the stairs, but his brother has yet decided to make an appearance. It was understandable since he had just come back from the dock, looking tired and…just sad. He looked like a lost puppy. He would've asked what the matter was if he had any brotherly emotional bone in his body. But talking about each other's feelings was just weird for him.

"Phone!" He yelled again, but no answer. It was like as if right now his younger brother was dead to the world.

The phone continued ringing and ringing to no end. He finally gave up, rolled down from the sofa (complaining to himself about how he lost his comfy spot), and trudged over to answer the phone, secretly hoping the other line would hang up when he gets there. It didn't.

"Hello. You reached Female Body Investigators, how can I help you?" He asked in a sweet, saccharine voice. The other line was quiet for a moment, still a little surprised with the greeting line, but then he heard a woman laughing.

"FBI. Funny. You must be Skype. Vaughn told me about you."

"No, it's Skye." He replied, dragging the no into a _nooooo,_ "We must be thinking about different Vaughns, because the Vaughn I know should know that his own brother's name is pronounced Skye. SU-KUH-EYE. Spelled with no P. And he would know that if he ever misspelled or mispronounced my name ever again, he would be getting a curry pot shoved up his-"

"Is that Chelsea?" He suddenly heard Vaughn's frantic voice calling down from upstairs.

"…ass. Excuse me Vaughn's new lady friend who I do not know, but is your name Chelsea by any chance?"

"Yes." She replied.

"No it's not!" Skye yelled back upstairs, just to mess with Vaughn, but before he could say anything else, Vaughn was already stomping down the stairs at full speed, skipping a step at a time to rush over to get the phone.

"No one ever trusts me around here. You know how bad that makes me feel?"

"Give me." He ordered, reaching over to grab the phone, but Skye was faster. He jumped out of reach, holding the wireless phone out of Vaughn's reach.

"Who's Chelsea?" Skye asked, enjoying every second that Vaughn was suffering as he eyed the phone with longing. It was weird to watch.

"Give me the phone!" He made another attempt to grab it, but being the same height as each other didn't give him any special advantage.

"Nuh-uh-uh! Who's Chelsea? Is she hot?"

This could've gone on forever, but Vaughn finally gave up and answered his questions.

"Chelsea's my girlfriend and yes, she's hot." He grumbled in defeated, pouncing forward and snatching the phone out of Skye's hands.

"Okay, okay. No need to get grabby!" He walked away from the phone and laid back down onto the sofa. He looked over his shoulder and saw Vaughn smiling widely as he talked on the phone. For once, he actually looked relaxed and happy. He could tell that this Chelsea was really good for Vaughn, and as a brother, he couldn't help but feel a little happy for his brother.

He was starting to worry about Vaughn…he had thought that Vaughn was gay at one point when he was single for so long. Good thing that the doubting is over now.

* * *

><p><em>I'm guessing the honeymoon phase is over…<em>

Skye thought to himself as he watched Vaughn having _another _argument with his girlfriend, Chelsea, on the phone. To his knowledge, they have been dating for a few weeks already, maybe a month, but most of their relationship is long distance since he lives in the city and could only see her two times a week. For the first few weeks, they have been managing it smoothly from what he could tell. He would smile when he picks up the phone, and _laugh_ loudly at something she said. But these days, he would always be shouting at one point, apologizing later, and then when he hung up, he would look saddened or even angry. So angry that he was actually worried that his brother would start destroying furniture or breaking the wall with his fists.

Today was the same.

"No…Chelsea, no-_listen_ to me alright? I didn't say that I thought you were cheating on me! I would never say that!" He paused for a while as he listened to her talking, or screaming was more like it since Skye could hear her voice from where he was eavesdropping. "I'm just concerned, can't you understand that?"

He sighed in frustration and combed the hair that was covering his eyes back with his fingers. He was walking around in circles, trying to keep calm, but Skye could very well see that he was almost at his limit when he started to walk faster and faster. It was a wonder that Vaughn is still standing upright when he himself is getting dizzy just by staring.

"Why? Because I'm your fucking boyfriend, that's why! You tell me that some guy, or should I say _guys_, has been trying to flirt with you and you expect me to stay _calm?_" He barked out a short, staccato laugh that sounded similar to those crazy people he sees in the movies.

Skye coughed on his tea and received a death glare from his brother, but then Vaughn couldn't be bothered to shoo Skye away just yet. He tugged at his hair and for a second he looked like he might just tear it off his head.

"I…I don't wanna…I just…I'm tired, Chelsea. I just came back from work. I'll see you tomorrow okay? Bye-" He didn't even finish his sentence. It didn't take a genius to know that she hung up on him...hard. He had to pull the phone away from his ear. Vaughn stared down at the wireless phone in his hand and in a split second, he threw it hard onto the floor, smashing it into bits and pieces as he roared out in frustration.

"Bro! Vaughn! Calm down, man!" Skye quickly ran forward and locked Vaughn's arms back to prevent him from doing anything else like destroying more furniture. "C'mon, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, and breathe out. Meditate or some monk crap, just calm down already. What were you told to do when you're angry again?"

"No. I'm not-" He tried to complain, but Skye was resistant.

"Do. It."

"My anger is a puddle…I will not step out of the puddle." Vaughn muttered under his breath, sending Skye into a fit of giggles.

Vaughn wrung his arms out and slumped his back into the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor like a lifeless broken statue. He buried his face into his hands and groaned. Skye walked over and sat beside him.

"So…what happened?"

"I screwed up…that's what I'm guessing. She'll break up with me for sure…" He muttered, more to himself than to answer Skye's question. "There were two new guys have moved to the island. Some farmer wannabe named Marco and a momma's boy named Wilbur."

"I'm pretty sure their names are Mark and Will." He corrected him, but when Vaughn turned to stare at him, he gave a nervous chuckle, "But hey, how would I know, right? He he he…he."

It would be impossible to not know their names since they have been fighting about them too many times in their countless phone calls. Skye and the rest of his siblings heard everything.

Vaughn didn't continue talking, but instead, he turned his head to look at Skye and gave a curious stare.

"Why are you asking me about these things? You generally don't care about what I do."

"Well, that's because you generally complain about nothing or something that isn't interesting. But this is about a girl. And girls, I am good at." He gave a proud smirk before slinging an arm around Vaughn's neck and leaning a little closer, "So bro, tell me _everything_ that happened."

"Later…I gonna go sleep. Tell Milo, Tierney, and Millie that I bought them takeout from McBonald's and it's in the kitchen." He muttered tiredly, slowly getting up and walking away to his bedroom.

Skye stared after him and suddenly remembered a letter than came for him that morning.

" sent a letter about your appointment-"

But before he could finish the message, he heard the door slammed upstairs. He looked at the letter on the coffee table and couldn't help but feel worried for his brother…but not enough to push him to the appointment. Vaughn can take care of himself. He went back to watch television.

* * *

><p><em>Vaughn's coming back tomorrow…<em>

Chelsea thought to herself as she picked up a bag of flour from the shelf. Vaughn was coming back from the city and she wanted to bake him something as a welcome back gift, so she came to Chen's store. Most of the time, she would feel excited and giddy about his return…but these days, things weren't going so good between the two of them. She learnt that he was a jealous and protective man. She found that charming and sweet…at first. That was until he scared off almost all of the guys who approached her when he was around. She was getting a little annoyed.

It's so bad that these days, when he left, she almost felt a sense of relief.

It got worse when Mark and Will moved to the island. They didn't know much about Vaughn, which meant they weren't afraid of him like the other villagers. They didn't believe the rumors about his violent streak…which Vaughn had told her that they weren't true. He never burnt anyone's house down or beat up his boss. And they haven't seen his sudden outburst at the diner on their first date. So they thought it was fine to flirt with her. In a small island like this, it was every man for himself.

Of course, Vaughn didn't think so. He was close to punching one of them when they came to visit her at her house, but she stopped him and they have been fighting ever since. She told him that it wasn't okay to scare off or beat the crap out of any guy he didn't like, and he accused her of giving guys the wrong idea all the time by being too friendly. During one fight, he was so angry that he accidentally broke her lamp.

Was it just her or does he seem to be getting more violent? She shook off the thought. She was thinking crazy just because she's still a little miffed with him after their last phone conversation.

"Hi Chen. I'm just buying flour today." She greeted in the sunniest tone she can muster. She didn't want people to sense her bad mood.

"Chelsea…" He greeted back quietly. It was almost as quiet as a whisper.

"He's not here, Chen. You can relax." That seemed to help Chen a bit since he breathed out a sigh of relief, looking a little more relaxed.

"That's good…you got rid of him, good for you-"

"Woah, hold on! Got rid of him? Him as in Vaughn? I did not get rid of him! Why would you think that?"

"Oh…you just didn't sound so happy like you usually do."

Well there goes her sunny tone. Guess she's not a very good liar.

"Vaughn and I are fine, Chen." She said, waiting for him to launch into his 'you should stay away from him' speech. Every villager does it and like every time, she'll ignore it and walk away. 3…2…1…

"You should break it off with him, Chelsea! You don't know what he's done!"

Chelsea rolled her eyes. She didn't care if it was rude, because telling a girl to break up with her boyfriend is rude too and after hearing this speech for more than 10 times gave her the right to be rude.

"He didn't burn anyone's house down, Chen! You should know that it's just a silly rumor!"

"Not that-"

"And he never assaulted his boss either."

"It's not any of that, Chelsea! It was when you weren't here-"

"Enough! I have had enough with everyone trying to tell me that my boyfriend is a psychotic wolf fiend! Here's the money. Good bye, Chen." She slammed the gold onto the counter and stomped out of the shop. Could her day get any worse? Every day, she would have at least one person tell her to break up with Vaughn…or try to tell her since she's very good at blocking out their voices and running away.

"Hey Chelsea!" She heard Julia's voice calling her from behind. Here was one person who has never tried to tell her bad things about Vaughn. She was a true friend.

"Julia, what's up?" She tried to smile, guiding them away from Chen's store.

"Oh sweetie, are you alright?" Julia asked, her voice filled with worry and concern. Chelsea shook her head.

"I just shouted at Chen because he was making up crap about my boyfriend. I don't understand why people are so scared of him. You don't find him scary, right? You work with him!" She turned to face Julia, but the expression on Julia's face answered her question. She was scared too. Chelsea groaned and turned away to continue walking, with Julia walking right beside her. "Julia…not you too."

"I'm sorry I can't be supportive. It's just that after what he's done, I don't think anyone, including myself, can find him not scary."

"What he's done? He hasn't done anything! To any of you!"

"Not us. He didn't do anything to us…yet. It's to the sailor."

"Sailor?"

"Actually…SAILORS. You don't know?" Julia asked. Chelsea shook her head. "Oh right, you went to the city the day Vaughn came to the island. You didn't know."

"Know what? Just tell me already, why is everyone afraid of Vaughn?"

"Well…the day he came to the island, everyone wanted to go welcome him at the pier. We gathered there, waiting for the boat to come in. When we did, we saw him on the boat looking for something. We couldn't really hear anything, but then he went up to a sailor and the sailor blew him off and tried to walk away. Vaughn continued asking, but then a group of sailors came and started to yell at him. I don't know what they were fighting about, but then Vaughn started to beat the crap out of all of them!" Julia shivered at this point as she remembered the incident, "Chelsea…I never saw anyone fight like him."

"What did he do?" She couldn't help but ask, but she was curious.

"I swear, he _bit_ someone. Why do you think we call him wolf? He was using everything he's got, his teeth, his nails, forks even! They all had long claw-like scratches on their arms and faces when he was done with them! Hell, he even knocked a few guys into a coma by head-butting them into the rail for god's sake!"

Chelsea was listening intently. How come Vaughn never told her any of this? Can she even believe this story? Julia is one of her best friends, so she wouldn't lie to her. Julia continued talking.

"I don't know what happened later. He was so bloody when he finally came down from the boat. Of course…he came down after everyone was unconscious. We wanted to shoo him off the island, but who would dare to after witnessing that? We didn't dare to talk about it again since we were afraid of what he'll do to us! He went to work, but a few police came and took him in the next day. We don't know what happened, but he later came back to work the next week. People started saying that he must've killed the police too…and you know how rumors are…once they start, they don't end. And as you know now, people don't really dare talk to him…or I guess, like at the diner, they do and get choked for it. Poor Nick."

When she heard that comment, it was Chelsea's turn to explode. For now, she couldn't care that Julia is her friend, that she just told her that Vaughn had beaten up more than 10 guys and maybe the police! She was pissed.

"_Poor Nick_? Are you freaking kidding me, Julia? Were you really there? I swear I saw you sitting closer to the counter than I was and I was _still_ able to tell that Nick was behaving rudely towards Vaughn. Maybe if all of you pulled your ignorant heads out of your asses for a few seconds, you would see that Vaughn is trying hard to fit in with everyone here, even when you all treat him like shit by gossiping about him in front of him!"

Julia looked like she was just slapped, but that didn't stop her from yelling back, "Oh of course _you _can say that! Since you're shacking up with him, right? I guess that instantly makes you the kindest person on the island! Don't forget, you were once one of us. You were once also scared of him, so don't go _thinking_ that you're better than all of us, Chelsea. Just because _you _decide to believe him doesn't mean that we all should! We saw what he did and we're only protecting ourselves!" And with that, both of them stormed off in opposite directions, not caring the many pair of eyes that were watching them. Chelsea went back to the farm and threw herself into cooking up a storm.

After she calmed down a little bit, she was able to think clearly. It was true that she wasn't here when Vaughn came since she went back to the city to visit her sick grandmother. And after seeing him close to punching Will, the story didn't seem completely improbable. Vaughn's strong, she knows that. Maybe Julia was exaggerating when she told her the story. Maybe Vaughn had only beaten up one guy. Or he didn't even beat the guy up!

"Why is this so complicated…" She muttered to herself. Was she being a bad girlfriend if she believed any of Julia's story? Was she being a bad friend if she took only Vaughn's side? Would Vaughn tell her the truth if she asked him tomorrow? Would he break up with her if it wasn't and he thought she was like everyone else? Would _she _have to break up with him if it was true? Would he leave the island forever if he knew that he's losing the only person who thinks that he's not dangerous?

"Vaughn…come back quickly…I need you here." She muttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, 9am, Farm<strong>

"Chelsea? Are you in there?" She heard Will's voice from outside the door.

"Mmmm…" Chelsea murmured curses as she rolled out of bed, hitting her head on the bedside table when she tried to look at her alarm clock. It was already 9 in the morning, she woke up late. There was another knock on the door.

"One moment!" She screamed back, rushing to her wardrobe to throw a robe on to cover her cookie monster t-shirt and shorts. She rushed into the bathroom and almost choked herself on mouthwash when she chugged down the bottle to get rid of her morning breath. She was practically out of breath and wet from trying to wash her face at lightning speed when she answered the door. Will looked at her from head to toe and chuckled.

"Good morning, m'lady. Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?" He teased, handing her a box of what she assumed to be take out. She accepted it graciously since she was starving.

"Nice, free food! Come in, come in." She pushed the door wider to let him inside as she went to the kitchen to get a few bowls. Inside the box was a container with hot soup inside.

"This smells wonderful, Will." She complimented as she poured him and herself a bowl.

"I'll be sure to pass the compliment on to Uncle Regis." He said, still smiling cheerfully as he sat himself down at the dining table. She didn't even take a sip yet when he asked her, "Are you okay?"

"Uhh…'okay' in what sense?"

"I saw you and Julia yesterday. Is everything alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it in a comforting stroke.

"It was just a little argument. I'll apologize to her later."

"If you have any problems, Chelsea, you can tell me. I'm right here." He got up from his seat to walk over to her, leaning in closer to give her a hug that was longer than 4 Mississippi's. She had to push him away to get him to stop. He went back to his seat, but only to drag it closer to her.

"Thank you Will. And I'm sorry about last week when…you know…Vaughn almost tried to punch you. He's a little rash and abrupt sometimes, but I'm sure he'll apologize tomorrow when he comes back. You don't think Vaughn looks like a homicidal wolf right?" She accidentally blurted out. Right now, she needed at least one person who isn't convinced that Vaughn is what everyone thinks he is. She needed someone to help her believe it too.

"Vaughn? Well…I think you would be better off with someone else." He said, flashing her a smile as he touched her hand. She looked up at him and didn't have time to respond when he leaned in closer and closer. So close that their lips touched. His other hand came up to hold her face, but it wasn't for long since she pushed him off of her.

"What the _hell _are you doing?" She shrieked, rubbing her mouth with the back of hand as hard as she could.

"You were sad! I wanted to comfort you!"

"With your tongue?"

"There's something between us, Chelsea. Admit it, you feel it too!" He got up and was trying to walk to her, but this only made it easier for her to push him towards the door.

"The only something between us, Will, is my arms pushing you out of my house!" She finished, slamming the door in his face before he could say anything else to her. How could he do that? How could a nice guy like Will take advantage of her? Feeling a little sick and disgusted, she took the bowls of soup that she hasn't even finished and dumped it into the sink to clean. The sound of the water gushing out and hitting the bowls soothed her, keeping her mind occupied that she didn't hear the door open and close again behind her.

"Why was he kissing you?"

She let out a surprised gasp, turning around while holding her wet sponge to throw at the stranger. She should've felt a little relieved to see that it was only Vaughn, but knowing that he had just saw Will kiss her and leave her house made her only nervous. He looked calm, too calm.

"Vaughn…"

"Why was he kissing you?" He cocked his head a little to the side and smiled at her. It was the smile of a murderous wolf waiting to pounce on the prey. The prey was her this time.

* * *

><p>I really thank everyone who have helped reviewed, faved, orand alerted my story. :) If anyone has any suggestions or advice or the story, feel free to tell me.

I worry that people may not understand the title of this chapter...it just means that another side, a bad side/story, of Vaughn is revealed. That's it.


	5. Tear

_A/N: Hey guys. I'm sorry for the lateness of this story. I have been having trouble writing a scene in here and it took me forever to get it together. I also went through some angry/worried teenager phase about my future and that took a lot of whining to get out of my system. No idea why I said that. But here's the latest chapter. I really thank you guys who have been reviewing and supporting the story. I hope this chapter helps answer SOME questions as to why people are afraid of Vaughn so much. _

_Btw, there's a time thing going on in this story, so we're jumping from Vaughn in the city to where we left off in the last chapter. _

_Disclaimer: I dont own Harvest Moon._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**Monday, 6am, City**

"Hey Vaughn, letter from Dr. Trent on the table for you." Skye said to him without turning away from his cooking. Vaughn noticed the letter and immediately scowled angrily, knowing the contents inside that envelope before even having to open it. It always says the same thing. . "I think this would be the third one he's sent you. Everything okay buddy?"

"Everything's fine…" He muttered, picking up a plate to receive some scramble eggs from the pan Skye was holding and to get a piece of toast.

"Morning…" His younger siblings filed into the kitchen one by one, each of them in their school uniforms ready for school. Milo picked up the letter and was about to open it out of curiosity, but Vaughn snatched it out of his hands first.

"Mind your own beeswax, Milo. Eat your breakfast and go to school already." Vaughn snarled, receiving a grumpy snarl back.

"What's inside?" He asked, eying the letter as Vaughn stuffed it into his duffle bag.

"I bet it's a love letter!" The girls cooed and giggled.

"Alright now, take this and get steppin'! The bus is already out there!" Skye handed each a piece of toast with jam smeared across before pushing them with his foot out of the door. They didn't forget to turn back to stick their tongue at Vaughn…except for Milo who showed an impropriate hand gesture instead that made Skye gape with shock.

"Where the hell did he learn that?" He almost shrieked, peering out of the window to check to see that they all got on the bus okay.

"Probably from all of those movies you love to watch so much." Vaughn answered nonchalantly, scarfing down the last of his scrambled eggs. He got up and hiked the duffle bag up his shoulders. "I gotta go. I'll see you in two days." He waved and walked out to call himself a cab to take him to the pier. In the cab, he pulled out his letter and ripped the top part open to read the contents inside.

_Dear Mr. Wolfe,_

_It has come to my attention, and everyone else's in the group, that you are purposely skipping our meetings. You were assigned to us by the court for your own benefit and they shall hear about this if you do not follow through. You've been doing well in our past meetings, but not enough that you can decide when you want to leave. We would appreciate if you join us again on Wednesday by your own will, or else we would have to use force instead. Please heed this letter as a friendly warning instead of a threat._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Trent and the rest of 6AM_

He crumbled the piece of paper into a ball and couldn't resist from throwing it out of the window. The taxi driver looked like he was going to scold him, but getting one glare from Vaughn was enough to shut him up. The drive to the pier was filled with only silence from then on.

_I'm fine…I don't need to go to the meeting…I'm fine…I'll show them I'm fine…Everything's fine…_

**Monday, 8:30am, Boat**

If the trip to the pier was quiet, the trip to the island was worse. He wasn't sure if it was because of his foul mood that was repelling everyone away from where he sat or it was just his features. The letter kept on flashing inside his mind, the words playing and then replaying it over and over again. It was only making him angrier by the second.

"H-Hey…Isn't that him?"

"Yeah…it is."

Vaughn raised his head and found two men clad in sailor uniforms standing in front of him. Both their chests were pushed out to look like muscles with their arms folded across their chests.

"Who are you?" Vaughn asked, trying to sound as polite as he possibly can.

Before they could say anything, the boat horn honked as they were closing in to the pier of Sprout Island…where Will's yacht was. Seeing the boat of the guy who flirted with Chelsea wasn't doing anything to improve his mood, but the exact opposite.

"We need to talk to you about what happened a month ago." They said. Vaughn thought back to what happened a month ago that involved sailors. There were a bunch of sailors that have tried to beat him up…but that didn't work out so well for them. They were the ones who got him sent to court and to that stupid 6AM group.

The boat came to a stop and the walking board was thrown down for passengers (Vaughn) to get down.

"I don't have time." He muttered, trying to hide the anger and frustration that he was feeling at the moment. He really wanted to go check on Chelsea first before going to work. He tried to push his way out, but the sailors wouldn't let him through.

"Get out of my way." He seethed through gritted teeth, but it wasn't getting his message across through any of the sailor's thick skulls.

"Not a chance. Last month, we got our asses handed to us. You sent one of my buddies to the hospital and he's still knocked out cold. We're returning the favor." They tried to close in, but Vaughn simply pushed them to the side as he dashed off the boat. He didn't have time for this.

He could hear them yelling from behind him but he couldn't care less. He ran straight for Chelsea's farm. He was standing in front of her house in less than 10 minutes. He was about to knock when he heard someone else's voice inside her house. He looked through the window and was surprised to see that it was Will who was sitting _beside_ her at the dining table. He had his hand on Chelsea's hand and she was letting him!

"I can't believe this…" He continued to watch them through the window. When he saw Will leaning in to kiss Chelsea, it took him everything to not burst in through the door and throw Will across the room. He saw her pushing him away towards the door, him grabbing for excuses, but that did not make things any better. They had still kissed. _He_ still kissed her and he was going to pay for touching what wasn't his.

He waited until Will was out of the house and the door was slammed at his face before he walked right up to him and smiled.

"Hey Wilbur." He greeted, not waiting for an answer before he punched him right in the middle of his face. The punch knocked him out cold. Even when he fainted he was still a pain in his ass since Will was blocking the door. He had to carry him out of the way himself.

Opening the door as quietly as he can, he walked inside and found Chelsea washing the dishes with her back facing him.

"Why was he kissing you?"

She gasped and the sponge that was in her hand was raised in the air, ready to be thrown at him, but she lowered it down when she saw that it was him.

"Vaughn…you saw?"

"Why was he kissing you?" He repeated the question again, cocking his head to the side and smiling as nicely as he can. He knew that it was only making her more nervous right now, but he wanted answers. "Or were _you _kissing _him_?" He scowled instantly at the idea and his hands balled up tightly into fists, the knuckles whitening on both hands.

"What? No! Look, Vaughn, he was just being a stupid douche." She said, calmly, walking towards him and rubbing his arms in smooth strokes. "Please calm down and don't think about beating him up. That'll only give the villagers more reason to fear you." Her arms moved to wrap around his neck in an embrace, standing on tipped toes so she could whisper, "I love you, and only you, Vaughn. Please don't get mad."

"…." Her words calmed him down a bit. When his arms wrapped around her waist to hug her back, he still couldn't help but feel the need to punch Will again for touching what was his. Vaughn's a possessive man. He doesn't like sharing.

"So why was he kissing you?" He mumbled into her hair, missing the scent of her shampoo.

"He just had a stupid idea that he and I felt something towards each other. I'm sorry you had to see that. I wish I had the chance to hit him with a pan."

He smiled at the picture of Chelsea hitting Will with a pan. He took in another deep breath of her shampoo. It was quickly becoming one of his favorite scents.

"Doesn't matter. I'm here now." His hold got tighter. He wanted this moment to last so badly after the few bad moments they had the past few weeks. He didn't want another fight with her right now, just one minute of peace. One minute of having her in his arms. That's all he asked for.

"Hungry?" She asked, looking up at him with her chin on his chest. He smiled.

"For your pancakes? Always." He kissed her forehead once before letting her go. She went to the fridge to look for ingredients.

"I ran out of eggs. I'm just gonna run out to get some from the coop first." She gave him another kiss on the cheek while he started to chew on a piece of bread he found in the kitchen. He smiled, but then remembered that Will was still lying outside…out cold.

"Wait, don't-"

But it was too late. She opened the door and gasped when she saw Will on the ground.

_Should've hugged her longer_, he thought, regretting letting her go so fast. She was still staring at Will when he tried to explain.

"I was…it was…I didn't…umm…he…he kissed you!" He yelled. She turned around and gave him a push that made him stumble back a bit.

"It didn't mean anything to me!" She yelled right back.

"I know that, but it meant something to me, Chelsea! It meant that every time, every day, every _second_ that I'm gone from this island, there will be someone who will be here to try to take you away from me. You know how that makes me feel?"

"Well do you know how that makes _me _feel? I feel like you don't believe in me! Like you think that the moment you turn around, I'll cheat on you with another man!"

"I have told you a thousand times! I don't think that!" He said. "He kissed you, alright? I had every right to punch him!"

"You don't have any right to punch anybody, Vaughn." She bent down and started to drag Will's body inside her house. She heard Vaughn give a frustrated huff and could practically feel his scowl when he pushed her out of the way lightly to grab Will's shirt and drag him inside in one strong pull. Chelsea slammed the door when she was sure Will was out of the way. "And while we're on the topic, would you care to explain about the many sailors that are in comas because of you?"

The moment she asked, he froze.

"How'd you know about that?"

"It doesn't matter how I know, but the point is now I know that my boyfriend has the tendency to knock people out and put them in freaking comas! Are you going to explain to me about that or do I have to wait to hear about it from someone else? Was I ever going to know about it?"

"I was going to tell you about it!"

"Oh really? Because it doesn't seem like it!"

"We've been dating for only a month! One _freaking_ month and we already have trust problems between the two of us. Do you think that I would want to scare away the only person that likes me on this godforsaken shit of an island with my dark secret? Couldn't you have waited for me to tell you on my own?"

When he put it like that, she felt ashamed and sorry. She regretted every word and every feeling of anger she had just felt awhile ago.

The door swung open and just as luck would have it, Mark strode inside with a basket of fresh baked goods.

"Hey Chels! I brought some bread for you from-oh. Vaughn, you're here." The door was still open with his foot still outside and one inside. Vaughn took a step forward but Chelsea placed a hand on his chest to tell him to calm down. That didn't stop him from talking though.

"Of course I'm here. She's my girlfriend and I come every Monday and Tuesday. Why are _you_ here? Just give her the damn bread and get out, Marco."

Mark didn't take his dismissal so lightly, so shutting the door, he stepped forward with his chin raised. "You can't tell me what to do, bro! And why is Will on the floor?" He stepped over Will's body to get closer to the couple.

"Mark, not today. You should get out." Chelsea warned. He didn't heed her warning and Vaughn didn't help at all when he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to kiss her on the cheek. She felt like he was trying to mark his property, like a dog.

"Chelsea, why are you dating this guy? He's obviously dangerous and he's a dick!" Mark exploded, slamming the bread basket on the table to point at Vaughn. "He obviously was the one who knocked Will out. He can do that to you too!"

"Mark! That's enough!" Chelsea yelled, but Vaughn had already moved her out of his way to grab Mark by the collar to hold him up. Even though they were similar in height, Vaughn was able to lift Mark from the ground.

"Before you think about hitting on other people's girlfriends with bread baskets and fake chivalry, take a good look at the situation. I'm having a talk with her right now and the last thing we need is some dick-wad flouncing around here. Get. Lost." He snarled, his crimson eyes practically burning with anger. Chelsea threw her arms in the air out of frustration when it seemed like none of them were going to back down. If she let this drag out and let boys be boys, she was sure there was going to be a blood bath, and she doubted that Vaughn would spill any. She knew what she had to do.

"Vaughn! Enough!" Chelsea yelled, grabbing Mark's arms and pulling him out of Vaughn's grip. When she was sure that Mark was on his feet, she turned back to Vaughn who still looked roiled with anger. His eyes didn't leave Mark, not even to see the expression on her face. Her heart tightened and she bit her bottom lip hard as she said the next words to Vaughn. "This isn't working between us."

It took Vaughn a few seconds to realize what she had just said, but when he did, she saw a new emotion on his face. From anger, it slowly changed to confusion and then hurt.

"W-What?" He stuttered, moving closer towards her, but she jumped out of the way before he could touch her. If he touched her, Chelsea didn't trust herself to not regret her choice and take him back.

"I think we should break up. It would be for the best." She confirmed it. The final blow.

"Chelsea, wait. I'm sorry for-"

"No Vaughn. I don't think you are. I don't think you're sorry for beating them up. I'm sure somewhere in your mind, you thought punching them was the right thing, that you had the right to put people into comas or to knock them out senseless. But it is never right! I-I had enough of this, Vaughn. Did you know that the villagers are afraid of me now?"

"I never knew." He answered solemnly.

"Of course not. You're never here. And when you are here, you focus on threatening all my friends away. I am not some property for you to pee on Vaughn. You cannot treat me like I'm your possession. People are afraid of being beaten up if they talk to me without acting like I'm some princess, and now I guess they have every reason to be. There's something wrong with you, Vaughn." She said, looking from the unconscious Will to the bruised up Mark. She grabbed her jacket and prepared to walk out. For now, she didn't care that there were people in her house, she just needed to get out of there. Vaughn caught her wrist before she could leave.

"Please listen to me. I can explain to why I'm like this. Please, Chelsea. Don't leave."

There was so much hurt in his eyes, it pained her just to look at him. His grip was so tight, it was hurting her, but she knew it wasn't intentional. Part of her wanted to stay and listen to his side of the story, but the other part of her didn't want to get sucked back in. She didn't want more people getting hurt and she didn't want herself getting hurt anymore than she was right now. Things were better this way, she just had to tell herself that.

"I'm sorry, but please leave." She whispered, using her other hand to unwrap his fingers that were on her wrist. "All of you please leave." She said a little louder without looking at anyone, closing the door behind her, closing Vaughn out of her life.

When she was finally outside, she let out a shaky breathe and finally let the tears fall down.


	6. Anger Management

**Chapter 6**

"Hi, my name is Vaughn and I have anger management issues."

"Hi Vaughn…" a drone of monotonous greetings replied back from each of the men that surrounded him in a tight little circle of chairs.

It had been a 3 days since he and Chelsea broke up and after escaping from the island, he had been staying at home with his brother. Today was the first day he left the house, and it was only to participate in a meeting that he was assigned to. As much as he hated going to the meetings, his anger needs to be reigned in, that's obvious enough now that it has affected his relationship with Chelsea at last. This might be the only way that he could win her back, by showing her that he is able to control himself and wouldn't be seen as a threat by the people on that goddamn-…_nice_ island.

He looked around at the familiar faces of the other men that were assigned to the meeting and stopped at their supervisor's face, Dr. Trent. He smiled slightly and nodded to encourage for him to continue.

"It was just 3 days ago when my anger got the best of me and resulted in me breaking up with my girlfriend-"

"You deserve it for ditching this stupid meeting in the first place." Someone from the crowd muttered. Vaughn didn't even have to look up to know that it was Gray, a man that came from Mineral Town. They never liked each other and were always trying to get the other to slip up.

Vaughn gritted his teeth and continued, "my girlfriend, Chelsea. I punched and knocked out a few of the guys that were her friends I suppose out of jealousy."

"It seems like you do that a lot. Knocking people out." Gray smirked and the Doctor sent him a warning glare.

"Please Gray, do not interrupt the meeting." He tried to get the meeting to continue, but the other men in the room were also a little miffed over Vaughn's meeting disappearances.

"I'm _not _interrupting the meeting, I'm just stating out facts."

"Gray-"

"He's right. Vaughn here showed more violent tendencies that all of us combined and yet _he_ gets to skip meetings?" Another man, Barrett who Vaughn remembered came from fancy named place that had _ice wolves_ calmly stated, but his fists were tightly gritted across his chest. He shouldn't be here, he should've been in a mental institution if he is able to say that there are _ice wolves_ and _pirate goblins _where he lived.

"This is such a waste of time…" Chase, a chef from Waffle Town, muttered under his breath, eying each and every man with a glare. For a man with bobby pins in his peach-colored hair from _Waffle_ Town to glare, Vaughn didn't think it was that threatening.

"…" Marlin simply stared at the empty wall, just like how he does in every single meeting. He never talks unless when asked to, so it still seems weird that he's even issued to come to a meeting.

"Can we just get this meeting over and done with? I need to get back to my farm!" Rick, a poultry farmer, cried out. To Vaughn, he seems harmless, but from what he heard, Rick goes 'bonkers' whenever a man is near his younger sister.

The argument continued on, just like how it usually does when someone starts an argument. No one in here was willing to give up and so the argument would usually last until the end of the meeting. Thus the reason why everyone has to keep coming back to these meetings, it's because no one ever learns anything. Usually, Vaughn would sit back and just wait for the time to be over, but this time, he _needs _to get better. He needs to get Chelsea back.

"Enough!" Vaughn yelled as loud as he could, his roar overcoming all of their voices combined. Everyone stopped talking and turned around to face Vaughn, even Marlin stopped staring at the wall to turn around to look at him.

"I don't care if you guys hate my guts for skipping the meetings, but I did it and as you can see, I ended up having to break up with my girlfriend because of my anger. I came back to get better, and if you guys got a problem with me, then we can talk about it afterwards."

"…" No one said anything for the first few seconds, and Vaughn had hoped it would stay that way until Gray threw a punch his way. Vaughn ducked and it ended up hitting Chase instead.

"Oh no…" Vaughn heard the doctor mutter before the whole room burst into a fight. Everyone threw punches blindly at each other, not caring who they hit as long as their fist or foot hits someone's something. Vaughn tried to duck as much as he could, throwing others out of his way without punching as much as he could to get out of the room. He could see that the doctor had already left the room through the emergency exit that he has for situations like this. Vaughn followed.

"Doctor!" Vaughn called out, running to catch up with the doctor.

"Mr. Wolfe. It seems like your coming back isn't really having a good effect on the others."

"Yeah…but I'll be coming back every day now."

"That's a good start, Mr. Wolfe. I will try my best to help you and the rest." The doctor smiled, patting Vaughn encouragingly on the shoulder before turning away to walk out of the building.

"Wait, Doctor!" Vaughn called out again. When the doctor turned around, Vaughn said, "I'm sorry for skipping the meetings."

"That's a good first step. Admitting that you're wrong is always helpful. Maybe you should try it with Gray one day." The doctor suggested. He waved a good-bye and left, this time disappearing into the crowd, not hearing Vaughn's muttering, "Over my dead body…"

* * *

><p>"Chelsea! You got mail!" Mark called her when he stepped inside her house that morning, flipping through the pile of envelopes in his hand.<p>

"Mmm…" She groaned sleepily as a reply, burying her head further into the mattress of her bed. She didn't hear him say anything else so she thought he left, but the extra weight on the side of her bed and the creaking sounds that the springs are making is a dead giveaway that Mark wasn't gone.

"C'mon sleeping beauty, wake up." He rubbed her back, and it wasn't really helping his cause since it actually felt good.

"Leave me alone…" She whined. The past few days after her bad break up with Vaughn, she has been sleeping in more than usual in the morning, dreading to face anyone. It wasn't because she was embarrassed of how red and blood-shot her eyes were, or how puffy they got from crying, or the dark circles under her eyes. Okay, maybe she doesn't really want anyone to see her state at the moment, but it was more because of the looks she got from the villagers. Ever since she dated Vaughn, they have been trying to warn her away from him, and now that he was gone, they've been giving her 'I told you' stares and fake apologies. It's making her wanting to maim or seriously injure someone.

The sudden disappearance of her blanket made her shriek out in surprise and from the coolness. Thank god that she decided to wear pants to sleep that day or else Mark would've seen her Hello Kitty underwear.

"Get up Chelsea. It's a new day. Plus, you've promised me that you would show me how farming works today."

"Oh yeah…I forgot about that…" She muttered, but it was more like she was muttering to herself than to him, regretting her decision.

It has only been a few days that Vaughn left and she feels, she could _see_ that Mark was being more forward by coming over to see her every day. He would use the excuse of checking up on her to drop by or the excuse of seeing her do her work. She doesn't really mind the company, Mark is a fun guy, but she did mind him pouncing on her right after she had just gone through a break up.

After a lot more minutes of coaxing and relentless whining, he eventually got Chelsea to leave her comfortable blanket shell and into the bathroom to wash up. When she came out, she was a little more energized and smelling daisy fresh.

"Hey, your letters are on the table." It would seem like Mark had already made himself home and a cup of coffee. She headed towards the table and picked up the pile of mail, flipping through them quickly but stopping at the last in the pile. The address implied that the letter came from the city and before she even saw the name, she felt a twist in her stomach.

"Vaughn…" She murmured, the hand that was holding onto his letter shaking slightly. What was inside the letters? An apology? Pleading? She sorely wanted to know but then again, she didn't want to know at the same time. She has to keep in mind of all the things he has done to her friends, to the people on the island. She has to be strong. If he gave one crook of his finger, she knows she'll be running back to him instantly.

"What's that?" She heard Mark asking as he walked closer to her. She instantly threw the letter into the trash bin nearby.

"Nothing. It was just a foolish advertisement."

As the days passed by, that wasn't the only letter that she received from Vaughn. Some days, she received 2 or 3 a time, as if to make up for the few days that she didn't receive any. Never opening any of them, her curiosity as to what he was writing to her was driving her up the wall. The only thing that stopped her from ripping one open to see what he wrote was Mark stopping by every day. He was a walking example of the few people he has hurt, a reason to why she shouldn't allow Vaughn back into her life.

"Wow, you got a lot of letters in your trash these days." Mark whistled at the pile of envelopes inside her trash.

"Yeah…they're all spam. Please throw them out…"

"Don't you wanna read them? They're from the city." Mark picked one up and was about to open them when she slapped it out of his hand.

"Leave them alone, Mark." She warned, glaring up at him, daring him to touch them again.

"Alright fine, I'll leave them alone." He pouted slightly as he tied the trash bag to get ready to throw it out. "So hey, Chels. Tomorrow's the fireworks festival and all, so I was thinking, you know…maybe, you would wanna go with me. If you're okay with it…what'd you think?" He asked, turning around but was to disappointed to see that she wasn't listening to a single word he was saying. Instead, she was staring listlessly out of the window, her hair falling down to cloud her face.

"Chels?" He called her to get her attention.

"Huh? What? Did you say something?"

"Uh, yeah. Just wondering if you'd go watch the fireworks with me tomorrow night." He invited her again.

"Oh. The fireworks festival…it's tomorrow. Right…"

"So…how 'bout it?"

"Um…I…"

She had completely forgotten about the festival tomorrow night, and now that she thought about it, she didn't really feel like joining it either. She sees Mark as a friend, even knowing that he likes her as something more, but she couldn't see him pass that. She didn't want to reject him, seeing that right now, he was her only friend, but she was scared that if she agreed, he would think that she was responding to his advances.

"I…I'd love to go…uhh...hang out with you, Mark. Buddies…yay."

Could she make things any more awkward right now? When he didn't say anything back, she gave him a weak shoulder punch…so apparently, yes, she _can_ make things even more awkward.

"Buddies. Cool. I'll see you tomorrow then." Mark said, his friendly smile still intact as he turned around to leave. He slammed the door without even saying 'goodbye'.

"Great…" she muttered, "Now I'm friendless too. Guess I'll have to apologize to him tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"Hey buddy! How was the meeting today?" Skye greeted when he saw Vaughn opening the front door. Vaughn looked up and his right eye was bruised and starting to swell. Skye gave a sympathetic look. "Bad huh?"<p>

"No shit, Sherlock." Vaughn grumbled as he trudged his way towards the couch that Skye was sitting on. He plopped down on the other end of the sofa and lied his head back, heaving a tired sigh as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Was it Gray? I swear, if that guy is giving you problems-" His hidden brotherly affections were starting to act up when he thinks that his little brother was having problems with another boy.

"No, it wasn't Gray. We're on good terms now. It was Chase." Vaughn's lips turned into a semi-grimace. "Who would've known that a chef like him would keep a pan around himself?"

"Chase? The twat with the bobby pins?"

"Yeah…the bobby pins were the reason I got hit in the first place. By the way, did a letter come for me today?" Vaughn sat up to reach for the letters fanned out on the coffee table in front of him. He flipped through each of them thoroughly, making sure that he didn't miss anything on the address as he tries to find one that may have been sent by Chelsea. There weren't any. Again.

"Sorry bro. Not today."

"Yeah…not today." He threw the pile back onto the coffee table and reached for the phone, dialing her number immediately without even having to think. It was as if her numbers were imbedded at the tip of his fingers.

Skye stared at his brother patiently with worry as he watched Vaughn receiving yet another voice mail. It has been like this for the past week. Every time Vaughn came back from work, he would go through the mail before picking up the phone to call Chelsea and receiving a voice mail message.

"Not today." Vaughn repeated again, his leg bouncing up and down as he continued to stare at the phone. His foot, tapping repeatedly on the floor, made a severe rhythm of _clacking_. His grip on the cord was tightening and without any warning, he ripped the cord out from the phone and threw it to the wall. Skye almost didn't have time to react when Vaughn was already punching the wall.

"Vaughn! Calm down!" Skye shouted, getting up to shake his brother out of his fit. Vaughn was breathing hard, his shoulders lifting up and down along with his eyes focusing on the wall that now had a crack in the paint. "Snap out of it!" Skye shouted again, punching his brother across the jaw just to get his attention.

"It's over, Skye. She doesn't want me back. She never will." Vaughn looked up and stared right into his brother's eyes. His eyes, although the colour of crimson flames where burning with sadness and regret. Skye couldn't possibly leave his younger brother like this, not like this.

"Have you tried seeing her face-to-face?" Skye suggested.

"They wouldn't let me close to her…"

"They?"

"The villagers. I've tried, and she either ignores me or someone pushes me back, guarding her away from me."

It was true. As if their break up made the people on the island more courageous, they started to stand up to him when they see him. Mirabelle had fired him and was currently finding a new animal trader. The inn refused to give him a room when he went to the island. He has always been an outcast and before he didn't care about it, but after Chelsea left him, he felt lonely on the island.

"Have you tried calling her?"

"She hangs up when she hears my voice. Look…thanks for trying to help me, but…just thanks. I'm going to go to bed." Vaughn said tonelessly, walking pass Skye and up the stairs to go to his room.

Ever since the break up, his daily routine seems to have changed to: go to meeting in the morning, come home and stay in his room until lunch and dinner time. That's it. He refuses to go to work and not only is that not helping him get his mind off things, it is forcing Skye to do the thing he hates most. Work. Vaughn is the main supporter in the family while Skye stays at home to help look after their younger siblings and the house. Without Vaughn working, Skye has to go back to writing articles for the newspaper to get some money.

Music started to blare out of Vaughn's room at that moment to hide the fact that he's either crying or punching his walls again.

"Fudge this. This has got to stop." Skye muttered, scribbling down a quick note and pasting it on the fridge before grabbing a jacket and walking out of the house. He was going to take action.

* * *

><p>AN: i bet its easy to guess what will happen next. :)


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